What is our role as a major dairy exporter? In some instances, U.S. cost structures can cause us to be the world's balancing plant by Mark Stephenson The author is the director of dairy policy analysis...
Are we teaching youth a variety of dairy skills? As a 4-H member I remember attending monthly local 4-H dairy meetings. Held at a leader's farm, all members, from first year to the very experienced, were...
In general, the U.S. and world economies are pretty stagnant. Part of the issue is after the 2008 financial crisis consumers and businesses were just happy to still be around
Now that Congress has approved Trade Promotion Authority, negotiators from 12 nations have begun final deliberations on the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP). Those final talks will ultimately determine...
We are a bigger part of that industry than ever before, and it is not likely to change anytime soon. by Dennis Halladay, Hoard's Dairyman Western Editor Earlier this month I took off my dairy hat and went...
Rising world dairy prices and focused efforts by the American dairy industry grew international sales. by Mark Stephenson The author is the director of dairy policy analysis at the University of Wisconsin....
Some bacteria are bad, but "good bacteria," the kind found in foods like yogurt, have rightfully earned some time in the spotlight. Beyond the benefits good bacteria, or probiotics, can play in our digestive...
For a number of decades, we have seen firsthand multiple states develop initiatives to either recruit dairy farmers to their respective states or develop homegrown talent to grow dairy cow numbers. There's...
Big new dairies are something of a rage in China these days. Some provide milk for domestic use, while others are specifically to make products for export
"Some cows need $2 less in feed daily to produce the same amount of product. Can we find these efficient cows?" Michigan State's Mike VandeHaar asked the audience at the joint annual meeting of the American...
Sadly, all eyes are on Greece these days – like a crowd that is riveted to a ledge walker on a skyscraper. Once the greatest civilization on Earth, its economy is in ruins today on a scale that has...
Herds are getting bigger and more productive, but the cost of employees is rising faster. Everyone who milks cows knows that the dairy industry is struggling with a labor crisis that is only getting worse....
It's been up, up and up for dairy product prices since January 2014 . . . from a consumer's perspective. That all changed in April 2015. "In April, we saw the first drop in dairy's portion of the consumer...
Brand new food products face stiff competition and must earn a spot on store shelves and in consumers' grocery carts. In 2014, the dairy industry met that challenge and had some of the best-performing...
Due to very favorable margins throughout the U.S. last year, dairy farmers were able to prepay many expenses at year's end for 2015. That situation may have given dairy producers a false sense of security...
As the world becomes more global, U.S. dairy farmers are losing the battle for value because of outdated policies that discourage investment in new processing technology. U.S. dairy plants are known around...
It has been nearly a generation since dairy farmers last formally petitioned the USDA Secretary of Agriculture to establish a Federal Milk Marketing Order (FMMO). That fact alone makes the California petition...
